FREE WILLY 3: The Rescue 1997
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 1997 Timothy Voon
1 :-) for Willy
Cast: Jason James Richter, August Schellenberg, Annie Corley, Vincent Berry, Patrick Kilpatrick. Screenplay: John Mattson. Producer: Jennie Lew Turgend. Director: Sam Pillsbury.
Surprise yourself with this whale of a movie, where the ruthless killer is man and the Killer Whale is more humane than mankind. Willy is not the name of a hot dog, or your dangly 'uhum', but the name of Poseidon's stallion who roams freely within the stables of the sea. In the first instalment of "Free Willy", this Orca once in captivity, scales a towering wall of stone in the most memorable footage we have of flying whales. Now back with human chum Jesse (Jason James Richter), they battle against the likes of whalers eager for the tasty hump of Willy, worth a hefty sum on the Sushi market.
This is not a simple tale of good and evil. The Whaler (Patrick Kilpatrick) is a descendant of generations of his kind, hand taught the foul trade of whaling by his father, and by his father before him. It is now the time of initiation and the handing down of skill from father to son, but nature has the last laugh when Ahab's child (Vincent Berry) becomes mesmerised by the song of the giant beast. With torn loyalties and courageous fervour the child stands between his father's harpoon and the vengeance of the sea. He cannot reclaim his father's soul for him, until the hunter faces the beast.
I was impressed by the sensitivity by which this movie addressed such thematic issues as loyalty, father/son relationships and the complex characterisations of the hunter and hunted. By far one of the better children's movies of the year, when compared to the likes of "Simple Wish" and "Buddy". It came as a pleasant surprise when I was presented with sushi instead of a sardine sandwich. Now all I need is a karaoke machine, and I'll sing ya my made-up "Free Willy" song.
FREE WILLY SONG by TMT Voon - Can be sung to any tune.
Free Willy, shake it all about, Free Willy da dum da dum, Yeah gotta Free Willy, so swing it all around, He's not a Humpback, he's not a Blue Whale or a Sperm Bank, (Whispered) He's your average Killer, your friendly Killer, Your killing me with ya Free Willy da dum da dum.
Timothy Voon e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au
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